The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-04
PROTESTANTISM In FRANCE.
It's Revival Amid Scenes Made Hist0r-
ical by Bitter Religious Conflicts.
Chnrch-Freedmen Work in the South
and the Hadd0ck Murder-Church Notes.

At Memorial Presbyterian Church, last even
ng Prof. l.. j. Bertrand spoke on protestant |
Mission Work in France" Dr. Mcleod of the
Second Church. and Dr. Edison occupied seats
upon the platform with Prof Bertrand, who
comes to this country from Paris to tell of the
work of Professionalism and the McAll mission in
his native land. The three ministers repre-
sented three nationalities DR.. Mcleod being an
lrishman, the speaker of the evening French
man. and DR.. Edson's forefathers going back
through New England to old England.
Prof. Bertrand, who has an admirable COM
mand of English, which he delivers rapidly, with
strong and very taking French accent began
with saying that when he got up In America,
before Christian faces, he was always afraid of
meeting two acquaintance who always recog-
nized him and took him for a barbarisn--the
English grammar and the English dictionary
yet he would like in his broken way TO tell Of
Professionalism in France in the past in the
present, and what it could be in the future
"a short time after the spirit of the Reforma-
ton passed over Europe" ne continued 'there
were in France many Protestants and SO many
Protestant churches that our kings, inspired
by Rome, took the resolution to destroy these
Protestants and their churches by cruel laws.
They were Christians after the lesson set forth
by Christ in his Sermon on the Mount, not a
mere physical, intellectual morality, but with
the spirit which reveals that ideal of good to the
soul of the individual and to the soul of nation
to raise them higher and higher toward the ideal
OF good the supreme good, Christ. Therefore,
they said that in the gospel of Christ are the
true principles of progressive society. The Pope
had another principle Numerically opposed to
this. He did not ask the regeneration of the
soul or the regeneration Of the family
and therefore of society He COM
manded to do and say whatever the Roman
catholic church teaches that she alone has the
right and the light Our kings inspired by
home. then took the resolution to destroy all
the Professionals in France, and they destroyed
not only the Protestants. from place to place
as at Meringdol and the twenty three neghbor-
Ing villages or at Vassy, where the people were
murdered IN the church, tut they leveled the
walls OF their houses, and trees filed up
the wells so that the places would be desolate,
ana then gave terrible names to those places to
frighten Others Fifty thousand Protestants
were murdered on Sc Bartholomew day. and
no one Knows how many were drowned in the
river seine. Women and children were aban-
doned IN the streets of Paris, and Romanists
refused OF we're not allowed to give them food
ana ald. In spite of this the spirit of
.no reformation was not extermnated, and
Sky years after Richeleu. cardinal of
tne church. came against them and killed
thousands. Yet 260 years ago they were more
numerous than ever, with about three thousand
cnurches, and the Huguenors gave mighty
qulckenlng to the community. But the Oldest
and most vicious of our kings Louis XIV be-
gan for the first time to think about salvation
DO mad deceived nearly all France and thought
II was possible to deceive tod himself. The
tha adj f 0c
revolution of '93. Huguenot schools. churches.
colleges and universities were closed, and it was
decreed that all our Huguenot children should
0e oaptized and educated members Of the
Catnohc church ProtesIants who could escape
went away to America, England and Holland
am DOT one Of those men who expects to see
iuifgrown oak tree the next day after
planting the acorn but God who knows ali tie
.errlpie past, knows the future, and has chosen
JUST TINS moment TO throw all doors wide open
LOT the hrst time, and this opportunity began
niteen months ago. The French people are
ready TO receive the gospel was led not long
aso " an EVANGELIST and peasant to a village
ard brought suddenly into Roman Catholic
Dhurcn. What was my surprise to be received
oy the Mayor and other authorities of the little
place. What asked, does this mean-that l.
aHhIgcenot. shall speak in Catholic church,
certainly said the Mayor, we are so over
! tired with ultramontanism that we want you to
| speak about Professionalism; We want to know
what you are, so that We may choose for your
religion or against them BOTH
Fifteen years ago Mr.. McAll began in Paris
| Win Two rooms, in which there were about
thirty people. Now there thirty-five rooms
IN Paris, and eighty altogether throughout
France. Some time ago was going from Paris
90 bordeaux. Some people told me l would do
| well to stop at village; that peasant had
bought Bible and was reading it to the people.
| When Frenchman buys Bible or New Tesla
ment you may be sure he is half Protestant.
for he does it against the rule of his church. ]
ha will nvd a.
me: Said he. L would like you to ex-
plain me this passage in St. Paul 'Ah,
sara i, you are the man with the
| BlbeF Then he told me how to came to get it.
| Il am shoemaker said he. and one day man
let bag with pair of boots and book in it
at my place. l can repair the boots / said tc
myself. but cannot repair book. All what is
lts Is 1t geography; an arithmetic No A
novel. history: what is this bookl A Bible!
began to read. What wonderful book! / read
many, many verses here and there I wen,
further On. All, said l. that is certainly won
derful book. returned the boots to the trav
eler, and when l spoke of the book he
said to keep it, that the book 1 could
not mend could mend me- At the same place
man asked me to tell him the meaning of
passage in the Psalms. and he told me story as
extraordinary as that of the shoemaker. Wher
| came to speak at the hail. which was filled
there was but one light in the room. and two
men stood on either side of me, each holding
candle. An old there asked me wha
| EZeklel meant when ne spoke OF the dry bones
| Then told of the shoemaker and the other anC
he was the third dry bone. and my dis
course became a familiar conversation on tn,
three dry bones and the regeneration of France
There are 900 Protestants in France
about one in fifty of the population. There are
| 81 pastors, most of them evangelical, who an
nounce the gospel In Paris we have eighty ON
Sunday schools with 5000 pupils. We are pre-
pairing for better days in France. short TIM
ago we had no religious paper. We now hav
too many we have seventy-six Brittany i
looked upon the most superstitious of GU
Provinces where they sell indulgences at s.
much piece and holy water at SO mucl
a pound. Ten years ago little churcl
was built at a village there by the Eta
! elish, and after while it was abandoned
We sent young pastor there. Eighteen month
ago resolved to go and help him. l was quit
astonished The church was full of Bretons il
their picturesque costumes l thought the
came through curiosity, but they sung heaut
fully. prayed earnestly. followed my words al
tentively and / observed that all. without ex
ception, gave something for the support of tn
little church 1 said to the pastor quite surprised
i did not know there were Huguenots in Bri,
tanyr 'Oh, yes, said he. but they are only tw
years DID,
In Brittany they call extempore prayer .
Protestant prayer The Catholics read thei
prayers. People often to and sa,
Give me a copy of the prayer you made to God
Since left heard that little church may hav
to be abandoned unless get $780, l So